MUSH Manual Version 2.008:
Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, Lydia Leong (lwl@netcom.com / Amberyl)
Last revised 5/22/95.
Section I: Getting Started. Basic commands and objects.
Table of Contents:
Introduction: A brief history of MUSH. Configurations and server differences.
1. The Basics
1.1 Some information
Common terms used on MUSHes.
The format of this manual.
1.2 Getting started
Looking around: look, examine, @decompile, TERSE, MYOPIC, @grep
Communications: ", :, @emits, page, whisper, basic flags and @set,
HAVEN, GAGGED, NOSPOOF
Going places: JUMP_OK, @tel, @whereis, UNFINDABLE
Objects: get, drop, give, ENTER_OK, inventory
Command syntax, @set and flags, special commands, @list
1.3 Attributes: @desc, @succ, @fail, @drop, @kill, IMMORTAL, @move, @sex
1.4 Editing: @edit, @mvattr, @cpattr
1.5 Do it! -- basic character set-up
1.6 A parser discussion
2. Objects
2.1 Basic object commands: @create, @destroy, @force, @name, VISUAL
2.2 Puppets - the PUPPET flag. ROBOTs.
2.3 A Note about Privacy: @sweep
2.4 Attributes on Objects: Action Lists, @decompile, the parser
2.5 Machines: @cost, @pay, and @clone, QUIET and DESTROY_OK flags, @parent
2.6 Limiting object uses: @charges and @runout
2.7 Reacting to the environment: @listen and @ahear, ^, LISTENER/MONITOR
2.8 Keeping your objects safe: @lock, @unlock, @chown, CHOWN_OK, STICKY,
@search, @find, @stats
2.9 Do it! -- falcon
INTRODUCTION:
MUSH is a derivative of the original TinyMUD. In general, a MUSH is a
place where players can hang out, socialize, program, and build. There
are nearly four dozen public MUSHes running at the time of this
writing. Most MUSHes use variants of either the PennMUSH 1.50 or
TinyMUSH 2.0 servers (TinyMUSH 2.2 is derived from TinyMUSH 2.0);
although behavior for all MUSH versions should be similar, code
patches and unofficial modifications are very common, so what works on
one MUSH won't necessarily work on another. This manual describes the
"standard" behaviors for the official MUSH versions.
MUSH looks very similar to the text adventure games that were popular
in the mid-1980s. The difference between a MUSH and an Infocom game is
the crudity of the parser, the user-extendibility, and the
multi-player capability of the former. The programming language of
MUSH is most similar to LISP, in its emphasis on lists and the way
functions are evaluated.
The MUSH code dates back to spring of 1990, or so. The only presently
surviving MUSH from that era is TinyTIM. Somewhat later came
MicroMUSH, and TinyCWRU. All three were based off the original
TinyMUSH, which was a heavily modified TinyMUD, done by Lawrence
Foard.
In January of 1991, PernMUSH was started, using MicroMUSH code as a
base. Moonchilde began to distribute PernMUSH code a little while
later, while MicroMUSH became MicroMUSE. In the spring, the 2.0
rewrite project was started. MUSH had become a messy collection of
hacks, and most of them were non-standard; JT Traub (Moonchilde of
PernMUSH), Glenn Crocker (Wizard of TinyCWRU, Dave Peterson (Evinar of
TinyDungeon), and some other programmers got together to completely
rewrite the MUSH code.
"Vanilla" MUSH code - the unadulterated original by Larry Foard - is a
relic of the past; the MicroMUSH code off which PernMUSH is based has
also essentially disappeared. TinyTIM has never distributed its code,
and is significantly different from the other existing MUSH
codes. These three MUSH versions, therefore, are not covered in this
manual.
PernMUSH switched to 2.0 code in November of 1991. The 1.x code
fragmented into three versions - Spellbound, based off PernMUSH 1.13,
SouCon, based off PernMUSH 1.14, and PennMUSH, based off PernMUSH
1.15, Moonchilde's final distribution. Only the last still exists, and
it was the only one of the three versions to be publicly distributed;
the name was changed to "Penn" to avoid confusion, since PernMUSH
itself switched to using 2.0 (and now, 2.2).
In the fall of 1994, a number of wizards from large MUSHes got
together to discuss the difficulties of TinyMUSH 2.0. TinyMUSH 2.0
releases over the past year had been, by and large, fairly buggy, due
to lack of testing in a "production MUSH" environment (one open to
large numbers of players). Furthermore, gripes about the bugs
introduced with new "features" resulted in the virtual end of
development of new features. It was decided to begin work on a server
development project, called TinyMUSH 2.2 (there had been an aborted
TinyMUSH 2.1 project which attempted to use the UnterMUD OIF format
for a database). TinyMUSH 2.2 is more a continuing of TinyMUSH 2.0
development than an actual new server. It is the pet project of Jean
Marie Diaz (Ambar of PernMUSH), Devin Hooker (Tyleet of Two Moons),
and Lydia Leong (Amberyl of PernMUSH), in conjunction with a number of
other helpful people. Every reference to TinyMUSH 2.0 in this manual
also applies to TinyMUSH 2.2, unless specifically stated otherwise.
This manual is being written specifically for the PennMUSH 1.50 and
TinyMUSH 2.0 / TinyMUSH 2.2 code releases, currently available via
mellers1.psych.berkeley.edu, caisr2.caisr.cwru.edu, and
ftp.cis.upenn.edu, respectively. Should you wonder at the references
to dragons and similar objects throughout this manual, realize that
the examples were originally written to fit the world of PernMUSH,
presently located at astral.magic.ca 4201; as this manual has
evolved, other examples from other worlds, such as The Belgariad (once
at csa.bu.edu 4201) were thrown in, together with more generic
objects.
If you're trying to program any flavor of MUSH besides TinyMUSH 2.x,
or a MUSH version earlier than 1.16, you are better off getting
the version 1.15 of the Pern manual (mushman.1.15.shar.Z, probably
located at the same place you got this manual). This manual is more
detailed than that one; it is intended to cover MUSH programming
extensively. I have tried to make the examples useful; if you work
through the manual's Do It! sections, whether or not you completely
understand them, you should have some rooms built for a house, a
falcon, a vehicle, and some assorted other useful objects.
Please note that the 2.0 examples in this manual assume that your MUSH
has a certain set of "common" aliases and command options. TinyMUSH
2.0 is highly configurable. If something doesn't work, or works
differently from the way it is described in this manual, chances are
that the configuration is different. The command "@list options" lists
many of these options.
Differences between 1.50 configurations are generally less visible,
and generally only affect the way things are displayed, or the
internals of the server, instead of directly changing the behavior of
a command (for example, whether @switch matches all cases or just the
first one).
There are three major mailing lists set up for MUSHers. They are:
tinymush-programmers@cygnus.com (for MUSH programmers and general
users), mushhacks@caisr2.caisr.cwru.edu (server hackers for TinyMUSH
2.0), and pennmush@med-itvax1.bu.edu (server hackers for PennMUSH
1.50). To join one of the lists, mail -request@sitename
with a subscription request (i.e., to join mushhacks, send email to
mushhacks-request@caisr2.caisr.cwru.edu).
-- Amberyl (lwl@netcom.com)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. The Basics
1.1 Some information
These are terms which are in common use and which you should know:
Player: the person who is reading this manual.
Character: the virtual-person who wanders around the MUSH under the control
of the player.
Puppet: an object that is under the control of a character, who can see and
perform actions of its own.
Robot: something which appears to be a character, but is actually an
external program, usually written in C or LISP, which, when run,
connects to a remote computer and pretends to be a player. Some are
quite sophisticated. This word is also used to refer to objects which
are programmed, using MUSH code, to behave like players, or to perform
a specific function, like deliver mail. Sometimes robots will be
referred to as 'bots.
Machine: Objects which are programmed to do certain things, like dispense
mugs of klah, or repeat the word "Die" every five minutes, or any one
of a thousand different possibilities. The second type of robot
mentioned above is a type of machine.
Flag: Something which controls behavior of an individual object. It can
be either on or off, and usually affects the kind of output the
object sees/gives. The '@set' command is used to turn a flag on
or off on a particular object. A frequently used terminology in
this manual is " is [not] set ".
"Joshua is set OPAQUE" simply means that 'Joshua' has the 'OPAQUE'
flag set on himself (i.e. it is turned on).
Object Type: Objects are classified into one of four types: PLAYER, THING,
ROOM, or EXIT. A 'player' is something which can be connected to
via a name and password, who can own things and functions
independently of anything else in the game. A 'thing' is a mobile
object, which can be picked up, dropped, and manipulated in various
ways. An 'exit' is a link which connects two locations in the game.
These locations are normally known as 'rooms'. (You can be inside
a thing, too, but a 'room' is the basic unit of building).
In this manual, 'object' and 'thing' are sometimes used generically
to refer to objects of any type.
Dbref: Every object in the database is assigned a number, called a
"database reference number", or "dbref" for short. A hash sign
normally prefixes a dbref, i.e., "#100". The dbref is the object's
unique identifier (unlike its name, which could be the same as
that of many other objects).
Client: a program which replaces telnet. Clients are designed specifically
to connect to MUDs, and frequently provide many features that are not
available with ordinary telnet, such as macros, logging, hiliting,
and the ability to switch between several worlds very quickly. Two
popular clients are TinyTalk and TinyFugue. The latter is an improved
version of the former. Both run under UNIX.
Mark: the unit of currency on Pern. Other places use Pennies, Credits,
Dollars, or even Cookies. The cost of an action varies from nothing to
100 Marks, for commands which are computationally expensive. Players
normally get a certain amount of money every day.
God: the person who is, overall, in charge of the MUSH. He is generally
responsible for code maintenance and general order. He has powers
not available to anyone else, and may not be @forced by anything.
Wizard: a game administrator, picked by God to help run the game. Wizards
control all objects, and have special commands available to them.
Wizards cannot hear things that ordinary players cannot.
Royalty: a game administrator, a kind of "sub-wizard". Royalty can see all
objects as if they controlled them, but cannot change them.
Mortal: a non-wizard, non-royalty player.
Control: Every object in MUSH is controlled by one or more things. Players
always control the objects they own. Wizards control everything.
There are other ways to control objects; these will be explained
later.
Commonly used abbreviations:
IMHO: In My Humble (or Holy) Opinion
RL: Real Life. The world outside MUDs.
VR: Virtual Reality. The MUD world or worlds.
OOC: Out of Character. Used when the player rather than the character
is the one speaking, such as when a dragonrider character on PernMUSH
wishes to comment on the features of the latest SPARC station.
The opposite of this is 'IC' -- 'In Character'.
LOL: Laughs Out Loud.
ROTFL: Rolls On the Floor Laughing.
Now that the definitions are out of the way:
Examples in this manual will be set off by [ Example Number ] at the
beginning and = signs around the example. Words that appear in < >
aren't supposed to be typed in literally. For example, if I use
"", don't type that, but type your name instead. In examples,
lines that begin with "> " indicate something that I've typed in.
Words that appear in [ ] are optional; for example, if I use
"examine[/brief]", you could either type "examine" or "examine/brief".
Everything else is the MUSH's response. The 'main character' used in the
examples is Elsa, on PernMUSH. Various other characters are used as
props throughout the manual; most of them are PernMUSH players who have
contributed in some way to this manual and are thus being immortalized
by way of thanks.
1.2 Basic Commands
Looking around:
The "look" command (abbreviated "l") allows you to look at your
surroundings. "Look" by itself shows you the description of the room
you are in. "Look " shows you the description of that
object or exit. You may specify a thing by its name, its dbref number,
as *player, or as "me" or "here". "Read" is identical to look in all
respects.
Possessive "look" allows you to look at something that someone or
something is carrying. The syntax is just: "look 's ".
You cannot look at someone's inventory if they are set OPAQUE or DARK.
(OPAQUE and DARK are flags, and will be explained in more detail
later.)
You automatically "look" at every room you enter. If you are trying to
move rapidly through familiar areas, you may want to set yourself
TERSE. This flag suppresses room descriptions and room success/fail
messages; the MUSH will display only the location name, its contents,
and the obvious exits.
The MYOPIC flag prevents you from seeing the dbref numbers and flags
on objects that you control. If you like your output "pure", you may
wish to set yourself MYOPIC.
* * * * *
The "examine" command (abbreviated "ex") provides more detailed
information about an object. If you do not control the object, this
command will tell you who the object is owned by, and (in some
configurations) show you any public attributes on that object, such as
the desc, sex, and "last" connect time. If you are in the same room
with the object, and the object is neither DARK nor OPAQUE, you are
also shown the list of all its non-DARK contents, and any non-DARK
exits. You can also use "examine/brief" to see just the owner's name.
1.50 has the "brief" command. This is like "examine", except
that brief shows all object information EXCEPT for attributes.
In 2.0, if the config directive "examine_public_attrs" is on,
normal players will trigger the looked-at object's adesc when they
examine/full the object, if the object is in the same room. Wizards,
however, do not trigger this.
If the object is not in the same room, you do not control it, and the
"examine_public_attrs" config directive is off, you will see instead of the description, and cannot get a
contents list, although you will still see other public attributes and
the owner's name.
If you own the object or the object is set VISUAL, examine will show
you the full list of attributes on the object, and other properties on
it. To see a specific attribute, "examine object/attribute".
You may use wildcards - * and ? - in examine, to match a group of
attributes. The '?' wildcard matches any single character (but must match
at least one character); the '*' wildcard matches any number of characters
(including "none"). For example, "examine object/v*" would show all
attributes on an object whose names begin with v. "examine object/???"
would match those attributes whose names are exactly three letters long.
"examine object/a?*" would match those attributes whose names are at least
two letters long and begin with 'a'.
In 1.50, if you are set ANSI, the names of attributes and the dbref of
their owners will be hilited in boldface. This makes the boundaries
between attributes clearer, preventing large MUSHcode objects from
looking like several pages of random characters.
* * * * *
In 1.50, the @grep command can be used to search for a certain
pattern on an object. Doing a "@grep / = "
prints a list of all attributes on which contain text matching
. This may contain wildcards. is a
possibly wildcarded pattern of attributes to match (like that for "examine"
above). If you merely do "@grep =", the game assumes
that you want to search all the attributes on .
@grep can take one of two switches, "list" or "print". The default is
"list", which just returns the list of attributes that match the
pattern. The "print" option can only be used if you are set ANSI. It
prints out all the attributes which contain the pattern, hiliting the
text which matches the pattern in boldface.
MudCore provides a similar command, called +grep. This performs a
similar task, though it only prints out the list of attribute names
that contain the pattern, rather than printing out the attributes
themselves. The syntax is, "+grep [/] = ".
MudCore also provides another useful command for listing the attributes
on an object, called +lattr; it displays the attribute names, and the
first line of text in that attribute. The syntax for this is,
"+lattr []". The command also takes several
switches, which restrict the attributes displayed to those of certain
types (attributes which are $commands, ^monitors, globally-defined,
or none of the above).
* * * * *
The "@decompile " command, when executed on an object that you
own, outputs the sequence of commands you would need to type in order
to duplicate that object. It may be used on any type of object.
@decompile is very useful for creating files which can be uploaded
onto another MUSH. To combine @decompile with TinyFugue, use the
following sequence of commands (presuming you want to save an object
called "Test" to a file called "testfile", and then upload it to
another MUSH called "NewWorld").
/wrap off [ in TinyFugue 3.0 and later: /set wraplog 0 ]
/log testfile
@decompile Test
/nolog
/world NewWorld
/quote 'testfile
/wrap on [ in TinyFugue 3.0 and later: /set wraplog 1 ]
This sequence does the following:
1. Turn off wordwrap so extra newlines aren't inserted into the output.
2. Save MUSH output to a logfile.
3. Decompile the object.
4. End saving of MUSH output to a logfile.
5. Log onto a new MUSH.
6. Upload the object to the new MUSH.
7. Turn wordwrap back on.
This method allows you to easily transport objects across MUSHes.
Also, if the game should unexpectedly crash, or the database gets
corrupted, or some other disaster occurs which causes you to lose the
original copy of the object, all you have to do is upload it
again. You should always try to @decompile any objects that are
especially valuable to you, and store them off-line, in case of
such a disaster.
----------
Communications:
You can speak using "say ", or by typing a double quote
followed by the message (with no space after the "). Your name and the
word "says" will be appended to the beginning of the message. A
trailing " will be automatically added to the end of your message;
don't type one in.
You can pose (emote) using "pose "). Your name and a space
will be automatically added. If you want to avoid the added space, use
"pose/nospace ", or a semi-colon followed by the message
(i.e., ";"), or a colon followed by a space and then the
message (i.e., ": "). This is useful for doing possessives and
similar things.
In 1.50, most messages like "" will
include a comma - i.e, 'Annalyn says, "Hi."' or 'Annalyn whispers, "Hi."'
In 2.0, this comma is missing, for historical reasons.
* * * * *
In 1.50, if you want to send a private message to yourself, you
can "think ". Pronoun substitution and function evaluation
is performed. The equivalent command for 2.0 is "@pemit me=";
you can achieve a similar effect with "@pemit/silent me="
in 1.50, but "think" is easier to type.
There will be many times when you wish to communicate privately. The
commands "page" and "whisper" (abbreviated "p" and "w") are used for
this, as in, "page =" or "whisper =".
Whisper sends a private message to a person who is in the same room as
you. In certain configurations, people in the same room also see that
you whispered something to that person; most MUSHes, however, do not
use this "noisy" form of whisper. The page command sends a private
message to a person on the MUSH; you can use it to talk to someone in
a different room. The cost of page varies from MUSH to MUSH.
You can whisper and page poses to people, by using a ":" in front
of your message. If you whisper a pose to someone, you are told,
" senses "". The person sees,
"You sense ". If you page a pose to someone, you
are told, "Long distance to : "
The person sees, "From afar, ".
Partial name-matching is performed on "page". You only have to type
as many letters of the name as needed to distinguish it from the other
players connected (for page) or the things in the room (for whisper).
"Lastpage" is supported in 1.50; to send a message to the person that
you last paged, type "p =" or "p ". "p" by itself
will tell you the name of the person whom you paged last. Try to be
careful with this, since it's easy to mis-type when trying to page
someone different and accidentally sending the message to the wrong
person (this happens a lot when people substitute '-' for the '=',
accidentally).
There are two ways to block pages in 1.50. The HAVEN flag, when
set on a person, prevents them from receiving pages or @pemit *player
messages. Alternatively, the use of a page lock prevents those who do not
pass the lock from paging the player. Anyone who pages a HAVEN player is
told, "That player is not accepting any pages." Anyone who fails the page
lock will be told, "That player is not accepting your pages." If the target
player has a @haven attribute set, the message in that attribute is sent to
the paging player. The HAVEN player does not receive any notification that
someone tried to page him. See the section on locks for instructions on
how to set a page lock.
In 2.0, only page locks can be used to block pages. Players who fail
the page lock will be told, "That player is not accepting pages.", or,
if the target player has a @reject attribute set, the message in that
attribute.
Specifically, to prevent a single person from paging you, use,
"@lock/page me=!*". To prevent everyone except a single
player from paging you, "@lock/page me=*". To prevent
everyone from paging you, "@lock/page me=#0".
If you set an @idle attribute on yourself, anytime someone pages you,
they will have that idle-message sent to them, and you will be
notified that they have received it, together with a timestamp. This
is very useful if you are unexpectedly called away from the keyboard
and want to know when people paged you, while politely notifying them
that you aren't there.
If you sent an @away attribute on yourself, if someone tries to page you
when you aren't connected, they will receive that message. Customarily,
this is used to tell people where you might be, when you will be back,
and where you can be contacted.
* * * * *
The GAGGED flag, when set on a person, prevents him from doing
anything but moving and looking. This flag may only be set by wizards,
and is used as a punishment for players who are being particularly
obnoxious.
Related to GAGGED is the SLAVE flag. It prevents the player from using
any commands that change the database. It may only be set by wizards.
Flags will be explained in more detail later.
* * * * *
The "emit" family of commands prints things without any name
prepended. This is handled by switches (the basic command name is
followed by a slash and the switch name) added to the commands @emit,
@oemit, and @pemit. In 1.50, and in many configurations of 2.0, these
command-switch combinations are aliased to shorter commands.
The basic command is "@emit ". The message will appear
exactly as you have typed it. Everyone in the room, including you,
will see the message.
In 2.0, normal "@emit" is shorthand for "@emit/here". An alternative
way of doing emits is "\\". There should be no space between
the "\\" and the message. Also, two "\"s are necessary because \ is
used as an escape character.
@emit has another switch, "room". "@emit/room" is often aliased to
"@lemit". It shows a message to the outermost room you are in (the
"absolute room"). For example, if you are in a chair inside a wagon
inside a room, and you perform this command, the message is shown to
the room, not to any of the intermediate objects. There is a limit of
twenty intermediate layers.
Related to the @emit command are @pemit and @oemit, and their
variations. "@pemit =" will emit a message to a
single person. If the person is in a different room, you must use
"@pemit *=". In 2.0, this normal @pemit is shorthand
for "@pemit/object". In 2.0, you are not told when you @pemit to
someone; certain configurations of 1.50 will notify you that you
@pemit'ed the message. In those configurations, using @pemit/silent
will eliminate the notification.
"@oemit =" will emit the message to everyone in the
room the @oemit'ing object is in, except the named player. 1.50 also
permits "@oemit /=", which emits the message to
everyone in but ; the @oemit'ing person must control or
be in . This latter form of the command is somewhat unnecessary,
and thus non-existent, in 2.0; if it can locate where the named player
is, the message will automatically go to that room.
"@pemit/contents =" will emit a message to everyone
in a room or container object, as well as to the container
itself. @pemit/contents is generally aliased to @remit. The
is generally a dbref number or *player; if the object is a player,
@remit to that player will show the message to all that the player is
carrying, as well as the player himself. Note that @pemit without the
/contents switch does not show a message to anything a player is
carrying, unless the player is set with a @listen attribute of "*".
"@pemit/list =" will emit a message to a list
of objects. These objects must be specified by their dbref numbers.
This version of the command may also be combined with the /contents
list, to send a message to several rooms.
@emit, @pemit, @oemit, and @emit/room do not prepend the name of the
player using the command. If you want to see where these @emit
messages are coming from, you should set yourself NOSPOOF.
In 2.0, NOSPOOF tells you the origin of any output that did not
originate with you, directly or indirectly (i.e. you or an object that
you @forced). If the origin is a player, "[PlayerName(#dbref player)]"
will be prepended to the message. If the origin is an object,
"[ObjectName(#dbref object){PlayerName}]" to the output (or, if the configuration directive
"PARANOID" is on, "[()]")
In 2.0, the HAVEN flag does not block out any type of @emit, though
page locks will block @pemit and its relatives @pemit/contents
(@remit) and @pemit/list; in 1.50, the HAVEN flag blocks @pemit and
@remit to players. 1.50 page locks do not block emits of any sort.
----------
Going places:
The @teleport command allows you to move to a different location
instantaneously. Two criterion have to be passed in order for you to
be able to teleport to a location: you must pass the room's teleport
lock, and the room must either be JUMP_OK or controlled by you. You
can teleport to a location by using "@tel ". You can
teleport objects that you own, using "@tel =". If
you have an unwelcome guest or object in a room that you own, you may
teleport that thing to any JUMP_OK location. You may also teleport the
thing to another room that you own or through an exit that you own.
In 1.50, and older versions of 2.0, you can find out where a player is
with the command "@whereis ". The player will be told, " has just located your position." @whereis will give you the
name of the player's location, and, if the room is JUMP_OK or is
controlled by you, the number of the location. If you can teleport to
that room, you can go to the player by using "@tel loc(*player)".
Some people find being "@whereis"'ed annoying. Generally, it is rude
to "@whereis" people that you don't know, or to "@whereis" them
without following up with a page message of some sort, explaining why
you wanted to know their location.
Players can prevent others from finding out where they are by setting
themselves UNFINDABLE. In this case, the locating player is told,
"That player wishes to have some privacy." and the player who is set
UNFINDABLE is notified, " tried to locate you and failed."
The UNFINDABLE flag can also be set on rooms. Anything inside an
UNFINDABLE room cannot be located by mortals. Paranoid players and
those having super-secret meetings may like this flag.
Sometimes, there are objects in a room which you may wish to enter,
such as a dragon. You can use "enter to enter an object, provided
that you pass the enter lock on the object, and it is ENTER_OK or owned by
you. In order to get out of the object, use "leave". In 2.0, you must
pass the leave lock in order to do this.
You can put enter and leave aliases on objects. The words stored in
the @ealias and @lalias attributes on an object may be used in place
of "enter " and "leave". For example, if a chair has the
@ealias "sit" and the @lalias "stand", "sit" may be typed in place of
"enter chair" and "stand" may be typed in place of "leave". You can
use multiple aliases by making them semi-colon separated, like exits
are: "@ealias chair = sit down;sit;sit on chair" allows one to type
"sit down", "sit", or "sit on chair" to enter the chair.
----------
Objects:
Picking up and dropping objects is easy - simply "get" or "drop" the
appropriate object. Possessive "get" also works - you can take from
something using "get 's ". The thing that you are
taking the object from must be ENTER_OK, and the object must not be
locked against you. Also note that this applies to taking from
non-room objects in general; if you are inside a thing, you will not
be able to pick up obejcts inside of it unless it is ENTER_OK or you
control it.
You can give someone an object or money by using the "give" command,
i.e., "give =" or "give =".
In 1.50, the person must be set ENTER_OK in order for them to receive
things. In 2.0, the giver must also pass the recipient's ReceiveLock,
and the giver must pass the objects' GiveLock.
To get a list of objects you are carrying, do an "inventory"
(abbreviated "i"). This will show everything you are currently
holding, including DARK objects owned by other players.
----------
Summary of command syntax:
The basic commands for looking, moving, etc. are few in number and
easy to remember. More complex commands, which generally are used to
change the database, begin with the "@" symbol.
Many commands have "switches" which change the meaning of the command
somewhat. "Examine" is one such command, with /brief and /full
switches. All commands with switches have a default. In 2.0, if a
command has more than one switch which are not mutually exclusive, you
may use several switches at once by doing command/switch1/switch2/etc.
1.50 also allows for switches, but you can only give one switch to a
command at a time.
Flags, mentioned repeatedly above, are used for a wide variety of
purposes. They are either on or off, with "@set =" to
turn one on and "@set =!" to turn one off.
Finally, three commands are extremely useful: WHO, LOGOUT, and QUIT.
The WHO command, for ordinary players, shows the list of all non-DARK
connected players, the time they have been on, the time since they
last typed a command, and their @doing, which is a short string set by
"@doing ". LOGOUT, which only exists in 2.0, disconnects a
player from a character, returning him to the login screen. QUIT
disconnects the player from the MUSH completely.
There is an inactivity timeout. If you idle too long, the MUSH will
disconnect you. The idle time allowed is generally one hour. It can be
found by doing a "@list options" in 2.0, and an "@config" in 1.50. In
2.0, Wizards may change this value on themselves by setting their
@timeout attribute. Wizards who exceed the inactivity limit for
mortals are automatically set DARK. (In 1.50, this only occurs if the
Wizard is already set UNFINDABLE).
2.0's "@list" command can be used to find lists of all the commands,
flags, attributes, configuration parameters, options, command
switches, and other useful things. Typing "@list" by itself will give
the options. The closest 1.50 equivalent to "@list" is @config, which
outputs the important MUSH configuration parameters.
===============================================
[Example 1.2: Demonstration of Basic Commands]
> "Hi, everyone.
Elsa says "Hi, everyone."
> :waves.
Elsa waves.
F'jon waves back.
> ex/brief f'jon [ 1.50: just plain "ex F'jon" ]
F'jon is owned by F'jon
> @emit The sun shines.
The sun shines.
> w f'jon=How are you?
You whisper "How are you?" to F'jon.
F'jon whispers "Fine."
> p jyrax=Hello.
You paged Jyrax with 'Hello.'.
Jyrax pages: Hello!
> @whereis Jyrax
Jyrax is at: Ramp of Ruatha Hold.
===============================================
1.3 Attributes
Attributes are places in an object where information can be stored.
The most common are the desc, succ, fail, and drop attributes. Each of
these have corresponding o- and a- attributes. For example, in addition
to succ, there are osucc and asucc. O stands for Other, and A stands for
Action. The name of the person who performed the action, and a space are
automatically prepended to the beginning of every O message. This person
is sometimes called the "enactor"; you will read more about enactors later
on in this manual.
The syntax for setting these and other standard attributes is
"@ =", as in "@desc me=A young woman."
"Desc" stands for Description. It is the message someone sees when they
look at something. An "odesc" is seen by everyone but the person looking
and the object being looked at. An "adesc" is the list of actions
executed by an object when it is looked at.
======================
[ Example 1.3a: Desc ]
> @desc me=Elsa is a slim young woman.
Set.
> @odesc me=looks at Elsa.
Set.
> @adesc me=:smiles.
Set.
[Now, if F'jon looks at me, he'll see: Elsa is a slim young woman.
When he does that, Jyrax, who is also in the room, will see:
F'jon looks at Elsa.]
Elsa smiles.
[Elsa's adesc forces her to do a pose, which is displayed to everyone,
just as if she had typed :smiles. as usual.]
=======================
Note that many people find @odescs and @adescs rather irritating. In
general, one should never use both (the above is for demonstration
purposes only). If you want to be notified that a person is looking at
you, one useful thing is: "@adesc me=@pemit me=%N just looked at you."
(or, in 1.50, "@adesc me=think %N just looked at you.") The
abbreviation %N is explained in detail later; it means "eNactor Name",
and is the name of the person who triggered off the action.
Succ is short for success, and is the message seen by someone when
he successfully use something. Succ on an object is displayed when that
object is picked up. Succ on an exit is displayed when something walks
through it successfully. Succ on a room is displayed when someone looks
at it, under normal circumstances. An osucc is shown to everyone else in
the room, and an asucc is the action list taken when something is
successfully used.
======================
[ Example 1.3b: Succ ]
> @succ me=You lift up Elsa.
Set.
[ Now, when F'jon does a 'get Elsa', he sees, 'You lift up Elsa.'
Elsa is now in F'jon's inventory, being carried around. ]
======================
Fail is short for failure, and is the message seen by someone when
he fails to successfully use something. Usually something fails to work
because it is locked. (Locks will be explained in detail, later).
Fail basically works like succ does.
Drop is seen by the person who drops an object. Odrop and adrop have
two uses: normally, they are performed when someone drops something, but
an odrop on an exit is shown to the people in the room that a person
enters (as opposed to an osucc, which is shown to the people in the room
that a person leaves).
===============================
[ Example 1.3c: Fail and Drop ]
[In the previous example, Elsa was picked up by F'jon. She's decided that
she didn't much care for that, so she's going to take some action:]
> @lock me=me
Locked.
[This prevents anyone from picking Elsa up in the future.]
> @fail me=Elsa glares at you.
Set.
> @odrop me=drops Elsa, who looks rather irritated.
Set.
[Now, when F'jon types 'drop Elsa' he just sees "Dropped." since Elsa did
not set a drop message on herself. Jyrax, however, sees: "F'jon drops
Elsa, who looks rather irritated." Elsa doesn't get any message, except
for the description of the room she's dropped into.]
[F'jon tries to pick up Elsa again, but this time, she's locked, and
'get Elsa' shows him the message, "Elsa glares at you."]
===============================
The @succ and @drop family of attributes is triggered in one
more case - when objects are given. The giver triggers off the @drop
family of attributes; the recipient triggers off the @succ family.
* * * * *
There is another attribute, kill, which is used when something is
killed. To kill something, use "kill =". For every Mark you
spend, you have an additional 1% chance to kill the object. The default
cost of killing something is 10 marks. Spending 100 Marks always works.
Killing something halts it and sends it home, and pays it half the amount
of money that was used to kill it. It also triggers the @kill, @okill, and
@akill attributes (@death, @odeath, and @adeath in 1.50).
Killing is usually strongly discouraged. Certain things, like wizards,
cannot be killed. Objects with the IMMORTAL flag (or, in 1.50, with the
Immortal power) cannot be killed, but this privilege can only be granted
by a wizard.
* * * * *
The "move" set of attributes are used when something moves from one
location to another, no matter what the means of moving - going
through an exit, entering/leaving an object, going home, or
teleporting. The @move, @omove, and @amove attributes can only be set
on players and objects.
There is also a set of attributes specifically for messages sent when
a @teleport is done. The @tport, @otport, and @atport attributes are
used when you arrive at your new destination. The @oxtport works like
the @otport does, except the message is shown to the others in the
room that you just left. There is no @xtport or @axtport.
* * * * *
In 2.0, there are a large number of other attributes related to
succeeding or failing in attempts at various commands (usually related
to passing the appropriate lock). Only the "basic" form of the
attribute is listed in the table below; prepend "O" or "A" to it to
get the other forms.
@tfail: failure in teleportation
@dfail: failure to drop an object
@gfail: failure to give an object
@rfail: failure to receive an object when it is given
The only one of these which can easily be simulated in 1.50 is @tfail;
to get the effect of @tfail, use the "@efail" set of attributes.
* * * * *
The final attribute is not like the others. It's the sex attribute,
which is used for pronoun substitution, and lets you declare your gender.
The syntax is "@sex me=". You don't have to make yourself
male or female, but it's strongly suggested. The gender "plural" is
also supported in 2.2, and modifies the grammar of messages appropriately.
There are more attributes, but these are the standard ones. Certain
MUSHes may add their own global attributes, such as "EMAIL". It is
also possible to make up attributes with arbitrary names, using "&" as
the beginning of the name rather than "@". These user-named
("non-standard") attributes are described in greater detail later in
this manual; for now, just note that attribute sets of the format
"& =" are valid and set
on with some text string .
1.4 Editing
One rather useful command is @edit. This allows you to perform a
substitution on an attribute, so you can correct typos without having to
retype the entire thing. The syntax for this command is:
@edit /=,
If is the character ^ by itself, will be
prepended to the contents of . If is the
character $ by itself, will be appended to the contents
of .
If commas, brackets, parentheses, percent signs, and other 'special
characters' appear in either string, curly braces { } must be used to
set each string off.
If is a wildcard pattern, the @edit command does a
global replace for all attributes that match the pattern; for example,
@edit object/v*=a,b would replace the letter a with the letter b
in all attributes whose names begin with v, in the object.
Certain types of patterns are extremely difficult to edit; these are
usually patterns which include the { or } characters, which are "special"
to @edit. Several methods exist to get around this problem; one is to
generate the string using edit(); the other is to take advantage of
some features of a client such as TinyFugue.
In TinyFugue, type, exactly as printed:
/def redit = /grab $(/recall %{0-1})
This command allows you to pull into your input buffer any number of lines
which could normally be obtained via the /recall command in TinyFugue.
This allows you to edit text that has already been displayed to you.
Therefore, to directly edit an attribute within TinyFugue, one can type,
"examine /" and then "/redit 1" to edit the text which
is then displayed.
* * * * *
To copy an attribute from one object to another, you can use:
@force me=&attrib1 object1=get(object2/attrib2)
It is also possible to copy attributes via a version of the @set command:
@set =:_/
This copies from , setting it into
on .
This somewhat clumsy method can be worked around by using a built-in
command -- @mvattr, and, in 1.50, @cpattr.
"@mvattr =,,," will move an
attribute. Moving an attribute always wipes it out. If you want to
copy the attribute, you must move it to itself as well, using
"@mvattr =,,,,"
In 1.50, there is, in addition to the @mvattr, a copy command:
@cpattr /=/,/,
This copies from to on . You can specify a
large number of object-attribute pairs (limited only by the MUSH
configuration, which is generally 100). The original object-attribute
pair is NOT wiped out. Also, even if one copy fails (you specified a
non-existent object, or one that you don't control, etc.), the game
continues to try to finish copying to the other object-attribute pairs.
MudCore provides two alternatives: +cpattr and +mvattr.
"+cpattr / = //" is
more or less identical to the 1.50 @cpattr save in syntax.
There are two forms of the +mvattr command, one which moves one
attribute on an object, to another, and one which is used to move from
one object, mass groups of attributes which match a certain wildcard
pattern, to another object, keeping the attribute names the same:
"+mvattr / = /" does the first, and
"+mvattr / = " does the second.
1.5 Do it!
Issue the following commands:
@desc me=
@lock me=me
@adesc me=@pemit %N= smiles and returns your glance.
@fail me=
@sex me=
@set me=enter_ok
You are now described, safe from robbery, and have a proper gender.
The adesc also allows you to see who is looking at you. (Don't worry
about the %N; it will be explained later). Also, since you are set
ENTER_OK, people can give you objects and money. One additional command
you may wish to issue is "@lock/enter me=me", which prevents people
from entering you.
1.6 A parser discussion
If you are completely new to MUSH, you may wish to skip this section
and come back to it later. Also, if you're programming 1.50 or 2.0
exclusively, you do not need to read this section, which explains
parser and game output differences between 1.50 and 2.0.
The command parsers for 2.0 and 1.50 are no longer significantly
different. Nested brackets, evaluation of the S() and U() functions,
and evaluation order should now be consistent.
There are some differences in messages between 1.50 and 2.0,
particularly in the building commands. Some of the more obvious ones:
@create:
1.50 Created: Object .
2.0 created as object
@clone:
1.50 Cloned: Object .
2.0 cloned, new copy is object .
@destroy:
1.50 Halted.
You get your 10 pennies deposit back for .
Destroyed.
2.0 You get your 10 pennies deposit back for .
Destroyed.
has left.
Errors in syntax are handled differently by the two parsers. Neither
parser reacts well to missing curly braces, brackets, and
parentheses. 2.0 in particular will often produce extremely garbled
output if matching is not correctly done; if you are getting output
from a 2.0 expression that begins with a large number of spaces and
ends with a group of right braces, brackets, or parentheses, you
almost certainly have a mismatch. By contrast, 1.50 will generally
return the string up the point of the mismatch. This difference in
error handling should be noted by those attempting to debug code under
two different versions.
These differences, and some other minor cosmetic ones, will be
encountered frequently in the text of this manual. If you are using
1.50, please do not be alarmed at them.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Objects
Objects, for the purposes of this discussion, are anything which are
not rooms or exits. Players are very special kinds of objects, which
have rules and restrictions in addition to those normally imposed on
objects. Players cannot create other players (save for the wizard-only
@pcreate command, discussed later).
2.1 Basic object commands: @create, @destroy, @force, and @name
The syntax for object creation is "@create =".
If you do not specify a cost, the default is 10 marks. If you have enough
money, the MUSH will respond " created as object " and the
object will be placed in your inventory. You may refer to an object either
by its name, or by its object number. The MUSH parser performs name matching,
so after you create a Blue Tunic, for example, you can refer to it simply as
"Blue," unless you have a Blue fire-lizard with you. In that case, you
could use "Blue T" instead, or "Tunic."
You can change the name of an object with "@name =".
(This applies to things, exits, and rooms, not just things). Your name
can be changed by "@name me=" (1.50 requires, for player
name changes, "@name me=").
The syntax for object destruction is "@destroy ".
@destroy may be abbreviated to @dest. In general, you may only destroy
objects that you own. It is important that you destroy objects once
you no longer need them, or they will clutter the database. MUDs have
a history of going down due to database bloat, so it is important to
try to conserve space. You will also get back whatever amount of money
it cost you to create the object.
If you want anyone to be able to destroy your object, you should set
it DESTROY_OK. This is useful for objects which are meant to be
temporary, such as messages.
If you want to avoid accidental destruction of an object, you should
set the object SAFE. This flag prevents the @destroy command from
being used on the object; instead, you must use @destroy/override
(@nuke). This overrides any protections on the objects, which include
the SAFE flag, wizard ability to destroy objects they don't own, and
wizard ability to destroy players.
You can make an object do something by using "@force ="
or "". The object behaves as if it had typed the
command. There are some restrictions on this, involving the INHERIT flag,
which will be explained later. Note that since the semi-colon character
is used to delimit commands, use of it in a @force will be considered
to separate different commands you want to force the object to do; if
this is not what you desire, you must surround the string with { braces }.
If you want someone else to be able to see the programming on one of
your objects, set it VISUAL. The other person can then "examine" it.
=======================================
[ Example 2.1: Basic object commands ]
> @create Test Object
Test Object created as object #8032
> i
You are carrying:
Test Object(#8032)
You have 168 Marks.
> drop test
Test Object has left.
Dropped.
> @force test=:bounces.
Test Object bounces.
> #8032 :rattles.
Test Object rattles.
> @set test=destroy_ok
Set.
> @destroy #8032
You get your 10 Mark deposit back for Test Object.
Destroyed.
Test Object has left.
=======================================
2.2 Puppets
Puppets are special objects which can hear and behave almost like
normal players. They are under the control of a player, and relay back
everything they see and do to that player.
Objects that have the KEY flag set cannot be picked up by puppets.
Exits set KEY cannot be used by puppets. In fact, more precisely,
puppets are treated as if they cannot pass any @locks that might be
set on those objects. This forces players to solve puzzles themselves,
instead of having their puppets do all the dirty work. In 1.50, the
KEY flag also causes objects to go home when the person carrying them
goes home or teleports.
=======================
[ Example 2.2: Puppet ]
> @create Test Puppet
Test Puppet created as object #8051
> @set test=puppet
Test Puppet grows ears and can now hear. [2.2: "is now listening"]
Set.
> i
You are carrying:
Test Puppet(#8051p)
You have 168 Marks.
> drop test
Test Puppet> Dropped.
Test puppet has left.
Test Puppet> Elsa's Room
Test Puppet> This is a small, sparsely furnished room.
Test Puppet> Contents:
Test Puppet> Elsa
Test Puppet> F'jon
Test Puppet> Obvious exits:
Test Puppet> Out
Test Puppet has arrived.
Dropped.
> @force test=:squeaks.
Test Puppet squeaks.
> #8051 out
Test Puppet> Corridor
Test Puppet> A long, featureless corridor.
Test Puppet> Contents:
Test Puppet> Jyrax
Test Puppet> Ball
Test Puppet> Obvious exits:
Test Puppet> Elsa's Room
> #8051 :squeaks.
Test Puppet> Test Puppet squeaks.
> #8051 get ball
Test Puppet> Taken.
Test Puppet> Jyrax says "Hello, Test Puppet."
> @set #8051=!puppet
Test puppet loses its ears and becomes deaf. [2.2: "is no longer listening"]
Cleared.
=======================
The puppet echoes back almost everything it hears. Note that when the
puppet is in the same room as its owner, it does not echo back the
output of commands like :. This feature prevents the puppet's owner
from getting a lot of annoying echoed messages.
Puppets and other objects that listen trigger the adescs of objects
that they enter, either via teleport, or via enter. This is because
they are considered to "look" at the object when they enter it.
* * * * *
Somewhat related to the PUPPET flag is the ROBOT flag. The ROBOT flag
cannot be set like other flags are; instead, you must use the "@robot"
command to create a robot. Something created via this command is a
cross between a player and a thing. Like a player, it may be connected
to and moved about independently. Like a thing, it owns no objects,
and belongs to the player who created it. It is "officially"
considered of type PLAYER. Things which are set ROBOT cannot be
picked up by robots; exits which are set ROBOT cannot be gone through
by robots. This behavior is similar to KEY for puppets.
The robot flag is useful if you are running a "real" robot (an
external C or LISP construct), which needs to be a player, but still
needs to be under your control. Also, a robot can use the OUTPUTSUFFIX
and OUTPUTPREFIX commands, which many robot programs require.
When you are not connected to the robot as a player, you can use it
much like you would use a thing; for example, a robot may be set
PUPPET. Creating a robot (via "@robot =") isn't
cheap, though; it will, on most MUSHes, cost you 1000 pennies. Once
created, it isn't possible to get rid of the robot without asking a
wizard to destroy it.
2.3 A Note about Privacy: @sweep
Occasionally, conversations of a private nature occur on MUDs. From
time to time, the presence of a puppet is forgotten. The @sweep command
shows everyone and everything in that room which is listening. Something
is considered to be listening if it is: a connected player, a puppet, an
object with a @listen attribute, an object with ^-listen patterns (explained
later), an AUDIBLE object or exit, or an object which has a user-defined
command on it. The latter will be explained later.
@sweep in 1.50 and 2.0 are significantly different, and so are
discussed here separately.
* * * * *
2.0 @sweep will show the following types and output:
Connected players. [player connected]
Disconnected players. [player]
Puppets belonging to connected players. [puppet(Owner name) connected]
Puppets belonging to disconnected players. [puppet(Owner name)]
Objects with a @listen or ^-pattern set. [messages]
Objects with $commands set. [commands]
Audible exits. [audible]
Audible objects, if you are in the object. [audible]
Parent objects. [parent]
This type of sweep, the default, checks both your location and
your inventory for listeners. There are also several switches for doing
more specific sweeps. Note that specific sweeps only warn you about one
form of listening - the form you are specifically sweeping for.
You may, however, combine several switches to make a @sweep of whatever
level of specificity you wish.
@sweep/commands lists only objects which have $commands set -
"[commands]" in the generic @sweep.
@sweep/listeners lists only objects which have a @listen set -
"[messages]" in the generic @sweep.
@sweep/exits checks for AUDIBLE exits in the room.
@sweep/players lists only players and puppets. It does not tell you
if a player or puppet's owner is connected, although it does tell you the
owner of a puppets.
@sweep/connected lists only connected players and puppets belonging
to connected players. It tells you who owns the puppets.
@sweep/here checks your location but not your inventory. Its reverse,
@sweep/inventory, checks your inventory but not your location.
* * * * *
1.50 @sweep will show the following types and output:
Connected players. [speech]. (connected)
Disconnected players. [speech].
Puppets belonging to connected players. [speech].
Puppets belonging to disconnected players. [speech].
Objects with a @listen or ^pattern set. [speech].
Objects with $commands set. [commands].
Rooms with a @listen or ^pattern set. (this room) [speech].
Rooms with $commands set. (this room) [commands].
AUDIBLE exits, if the room is AUDIBLE. [broadcasting].
AUDIBLE objects, if you are in it. (this room) [broadcasting].
1.50 "@sweep connected" will show the following types and output:
Connected players. is listening.
Puppets belonging to connected players. [owner: ] is listening.
Both types of 1.50 @sweep check both location and inventory.
1.50 will take the command switches "connected", "here", "inventory",
and "exits", but not in combination.
* * * * *
MudCore provides a command called +awake, which is a much more paranoid
version of @sweep; it allows you to discover not just objects which are,
in actuality, listening, but objects which might be listening. It follows
chains of message forwarding through AUDIBLE exits and @forwardlists,
as well as objects in the inventory of other objects set with @listen "*";
it thus allows you to discover just not what in the room might be
broadcasting, but where it's broadcasting to. The command displays
information in a tabular format, noting the Connected status of the
owners of the objects.
* * * * *
Puppets on MUSHes may be set DARK, but that flag has no effect on
them, just as it has no effect on a normal player. However, wizards and
wizard objects may be set DARK, and will disappear from the list of the
room's contents, although they still appear on a @sweep. As a further
caution, wizards who are set DARK also do not appear on the WHO list of
connected players. (The rationale for allowing wizards to do this is
explained in the last section of the manual).
Doing a @sweep several times throughout a private conversation is
strongly encouraged. Remember that you are not ever guaranteed privacy
on a MUD.
2.4 Attributes on Objects: Action Lists
The @asucc, @afail, and @adrop attributes are frequently used on
objects. Any command normally available to the object may be used in an
action list. Object may also re-program themselves, by enclosing the
commands which are to be deferred in curly brackets (braces), { }.
==========================
[ Example 2.4: Bubbly Pie]
> @create Bubbly Pie
Bubbly Pie created as object #1308
> @adrop pie = @adrop me={:splatters on the floor.;@destroy me};:lands on
the floor. If it's dropped again, it'll splatter.
Set.
> drop pie
Bubbly Pie has left.
Dropped.
Bubbly Pie lands on the floor. If it's dropped again, it'll splatter.
> get pie
Bubbly Pie has left.
Taken.
> drop pie
Bubbly Pie has left.
Dropped.
Bubbly Pie splatters on the floor.
You get your 10 Mark deposit back for Bubbly Pie.
Bubbly Pie has left.
==========================
2.5 Machines: @cost, @pay, and @clone
Machines use up money as they run. Normally, the cost is 1/64 of a
Mark per command, plus the normal cost of the command. For example, if a
machine @creates something, the cost is 10 and 1/64 marks. In general, the
cost of running a machine is insignificant, but an object which is in an
infinite loop can quickly become extremely costly.
Many MUSHes have vending machines. These exist to provide some color
to the world, as well as to net the owner some money. It is generally
considered impolite to have set the cost of a vending machine to anything
far above what it costs to run the machine.
The @cost attribute is an integer, which is the amount of money a
machine must be given before it executes its "pay" programming. The @pay,
@opay, and @apay attributes are used to program vending machines.
The syntax of the commands is standard: "@ ="
and the attributes are triggered by the payment. The MUSH automatically
gives change to people who give a machine too much money, and rebukes those
who are too stingy, so you don't have to make sure that people are giving
your machine that correct amount of money.
Many vending machines produce objects. This is generally done by
having a copy of the object inside the machine, and then having the
machine clone the object. The syntax of that command is @clone .
The object can be referred to either by name or number. @clone places the
newly created object in the room (or, in 2.0, if the /inventory switch is
given, in the object's inventory). The object is identical in all ways, save
for a different object number.
Clone-type vending machines should be set OPAQUE. This flag, when set
on something, prevents others from seeing what an object is carrying. Also,
objects given by a vending machine should be set DESTROY_OK so that people
can destroy them when they're done with them.
To @destroy an object you do not own, it must be DESTROY_OK and you
must be carrying it; if you @destroy such an object, you will receive
the message, "Destroyed. 's ()". In 2.0,
the owner will be told, "You get your 10 Mark deposit back for ."
In 1.50, the owner is given that message, and gets the additional
notification, "Destroyed. () by ."
If you don't want to see annoying "You get your 10 Mark deposit back
for ." messages every time someone destroys one of your
objects, set the object QUIET.
===================================
[ Example 2.5: Bubbly Pie Vendor ]
> @create Hot Pie
Hot Pie created as object #8301
> @create Bubbly Pie Vendor
Bubbly Pie Vendor created as object #8302
> i
You are carrying:
Bubbly Pie Vendor(#8302)
Hot Pie(#8301)
You have 158 Marks.
> @set #8301=destroy_ok
Set.
> @succ #8301=You gobble down the hot bubbly pie.
Set.
> @asucc #8301=@destroy me
Set.
> @cost vendor=11
Set.
> @pay vendor=The bubbly pie vendor sets down a hot, steaming pie.
Set.
> @apay vendor=@clone #8301
Set.
> @tel #8301=#8302
Hot Pie has left.
> @set vendor=opaque
Set.
> drop vendor
Bubbly Pie Vendor has left.
Dropped.
> give vendor=11
You paid 11 Marks
The bubbly pie vendor sets down a hot, steaming pie.
> get hot pie
Hot Pie has left.
You gobble down the hot bubbly pie.
You get your 10 Mark deposit back for Hot Pie.
Hot Pie has left.
===================================
Database size is frequently an issue on MUSHes. One way of
preventing the dreaded "database bloat" syndrome is to avoid using
@clone whenever possible. MUSH provides for object "inheritance" via
"parenting".
An object becomes parented via "@parent =", where
and are of any type (and can be of different types).
A child object inherits all attributes of the parent, unless it
already has an attribute of that name, in which case the attribute on
the child "blocks" that of the parent. While no object is allowed to
have more than one parent, multiple levels of parents are allowed,
with the "ancestors" passing their traits down to the child.
In 2.0, objects also inherit any exits that their parents might have;
these show up on the "Obvious Exits" list. In neither version of MUSH
do objects inherit the locks or flags of the parent. Certain special
attributes, like @startup, are also not inherited.
Because in almost every regard, the child is identical to the parent,
cloning becomes almost unnecessary; instead of using @clone, @create
an object of the same name, set the flags and lock to be identical,
and then @parent the 'clone' to the original object, so all attributes
are 'inherited'. There is a convenient shortcut command in 2.0 which
does all of this: "@clone/parent ". This saves a large amount
of database space and also makes it very easy to maintain updates of
objects that you are making available for public consumption.
It is safe to allow someone to @chown an object after it is @parented;
the child does not inherit any special kind of control powers over the
parent. The child can, however, still inherits attributes off the
parent object, even if the owners of the child and parent are
different.
2.6 Limiting object uses: @charges and @runout
An object may be given charges, limiting its number of uses. Each
success on the object uses one charge. To set the number of charges on an
object, use: "@charges =".
When the charges on an object are exhausted, its @runout action list
is executed. The syntax is "@runout =". The
action list is in the same form as the action lists used in asucc,
adrop, etc.
Any use of an action-attribute, such as @adrop, @asucc, @afail, @ause,
or @ahear, will constitute use of a charge. @trigger also uses up a
charge, although no other MUSH commands do. "@verb" triggered on
something uses up charges, if an @a-action is specified (see the
section on @verb later in the manual; basically, this command defines
@attr/@oattr/@aattr-like triplets). Note that an object runs out when
the number of charges is equal to 0. In other words, an object with
@charges 2 can be used 3 times before it executes the @runout (the
@runout is executed immediately after the third use of the object).
============================
[ Example 2.6: Mug of Klah ]
> @create Mug of Klah
Mug of Klah created as object #135
> @asucc mug=@pemit %N=You drink some of the klah.
Set.
> @charges mug=2
Set.
> @runout mug=:is now empty.; @name me=Empty Mug; :shatters.; @destroy me
Set.
> drop mug
Mug of Klah has left.
Dropped.
> get mug
Mug of Klah has left.
Taken.
You drink some of the klah.
> drop mug
Mug of Klah has left.
Dropped.
> get mug
Mug of Klah has left.
Taken.
You drink some of the klah.
> drop mug
Mug of Klah has left.
Dropped.
> get mug
Mug of Klah has left.
Taken.
You drink some of the klah.
Mug of Klah is now empty.
Empty Mug shatters.
You get your 10 Mark deposit back for Empty Mug.
Empty Mug has left.
============================
2.7 Reacting to the Environment: @listen and @ahear
These two attributes allow machines to respond to things they hear,
including speech, poses, @emits, and whispers. The attributes are
extremely useful for programming machines that sit idle until they
hear the string "has arrived," or similar things.
The "listen" string usually contains one or more wildcard characters,
so that a single pattern of words can be listened for out of what may
be an extremely complex string. For example, an object whose "listen"
is set to "*smiles *" will match any occurrence of "smiles" followed
by a space, such as "Elisa smiles happily."
The "ahear" is the action list taken when the object's "listen" string
is matched. Ahear's general format is similar to asucc, adrop, etc. There
are also two refinements of ahear: amhear and aahear. Amhear only responds
to strings that are generated by the object itself; ahear only responds to
strings that are not generated by the object itself. Amhear plus ahear
equals aahear, which allows the object to respond to anything it hears.
===================================
[ Example 2.7: Autogreet ]
> @listen me=* has arrived.
Elsa - Set.
> @ahear me=:waves to %N.
Elsa - Set.
[ This forces Elsa to automatically wave to something entering the room. ]
Abakin has arrived.
Elsa waves to Abakin.
===================================
Autogreets are somewhat annoying and are probably best used merely
as programming examples.
One particularly costly loop is to have an object with a @listen of
"*" and an @ahear which triggers on some particular pattern of words,
sitting in a noisy room where the @ahear is evaluated several times a
minute. This will cause your money supply to drop rapidly, although
it is unlikely that you will notice the loop until your money is
gone. It is noted here in hopes that you will avoid making this
mistake.
MUSH allows an additional way for objects to listen. Attributes can be
scanned for ^ listen patterns (in 1.50, this only happens if no
@listen is set on an object). These pattern triggers are in the format
"^:". They function like a @listen/@ahear
combination. Unlike @listen, messages which match the pattern do not
"go through" to the objects that the object is carrying. In order to
activate patterns on the object, though, it must be set LISTENER (in
1.50) or MONITOR (in 2.0). Also, the object which is the origin of
the message must be able to pass the use lock of the object with the
^-pattern.
===================================
[ Example 2.8: Echo device ]
> @create Echo
Created: Object #4570.
> drop echo
Dropped.
> @va echo=^* says, "*":@emit You hear an echo... %1 %1 %1...
[ The first * matches %0, the second * matches %1. This is the "stack",
described in more detail later. ]
Echo - Set.
> "Testing.
You say, "Testing."
You hear an echo... Testing. Testing. Testing....
===================================
2.8 Keeping your objects safe
Unless you enjoy having your stuff stolen, or are planning on giving
something away, it is usually a good idea to @lock the things you own.
"@lock =me" will prevent anyone other than yourself from
picking up an object. Do note that it's usually rude to pick things
up without permission from the owner.
Locks are useful on more than just objects - they are often used on
exits. For example, you might want to lock the entrance to your
bedroom to yourself only. In general, successfully passing a lock -
going through an exit, picking up an object, etc. - will trigger the
@succ attributes. Failing to pass a lock will trigger the @fail
attributes.
The generic syntax is "@lock =". The object and key can
be name, number, "me" or "here". If the key is a player, you must
prefix the player name with a * - i.e. "@lock object=*Malachite". In
general, if you want something to be locked against everything, lock
it to #0.
To unlock an object, simply use @unlock .
Boolean expressions are allowed in locks, as are parentheses for
grouping. A lock of 'obj1&obj2' means that the thing trying to pass
the lock must be BOTH obj1 and obj2. A lock of 'obj1|obj2' means that
the thing trying to pass the lock must be EITHER obj1 or obj2. Make
sure that you don't confuse these. There is also a negation operator,
'!'. '!obj1' means that the thing trying to pass the lock must NOT be
obj1.
Carry locks allow you to check if a player is carrying a certain
object. @lock =+ only allows someone carrying to pass the
lock. Is locks allow passage only if you are the key: @lock ==.
The normal @lock = allows passage either if you carry
the key, or you are the key; thus, a carry lock plus an is lock equals a
normal lock.
Indirect locks allow you to lock an object to the key of another
object, thus creating "standard" locks. The syntax is @lock =@
For example, if the is locked to obj1|obj2, then will also
be locked to obj1|obj2.
Ownership locks allow you to lock to all objects with the same
owner. @lock =+ only allows someone with the same owner as
to pass the lock.
* * * * *
You can lock things to attributes. For example, to make a door which
only allows females past, @lock door=sex:f* Wild cards, greater than, and
less than signs may be used. The latter two refer to alphabetical order:
@lock door=name:/
The person attempting to pass the lock is passed as the enactor to the
attribute U-function. Evaluation locks are an advanced programming technique;
don't worry if you don't understand them.
* * * * *
2.0 provides a wide variety of locks; in additional to the "basic" lock,
there are enter, leave, use, page, give, receive, telout, tport, and
link locks. They are set using @lock/ and @unlock/.
An enter lock prevents someone from entering an object unless
he passes the lock. The object must also be ENTER_OK or owned by the
person trying to enter it.
Leave, give, and receive locks are obvious: they control who
is allowed to leave the object, who is allowed to give the object, and
who is allowed to give things to the object, respectively.
A use lock prevents someone from "use"ing, performing $commands,
or triggering ^-listen patterns on an object unless they pass the lock.
This provides another form of security on objects; to prevent someone from
abusing the $commands on your personal objects, all you need to do is to
@lock/use it to "me", so you are the only person who can use the object.
Please note that if you uselock yourself, you cannot be given money (since
that could potentially trigger the @apay attribute on you).
A page lock prevents someone unless they pass the lock. It does
not prevents their objects from paging you; to achieve this affect, you
need to use the ownership lock primitive ($). If you want to prevent someone
and all their objects from paging you, use "@lock/page me=!$*playername" --
i.e., if Ambar wants to prevent Joarm and his objects from paging her, she
types "@lock/page me=!$*Joarm". The '!' signifies negation, the '$' signifies
ownership, and the '*Joarm' forces the game to parse the name as a player
name. Thus the lock reads "not objects owned by player Joarm". In 2.0, this
also prevents Joarm and his objects from @pemit'ing to Ambar; in 1.50, the
HAVEN flag is required to stop @pemits).
A link lock controls who may link to a LINK_OK location (for
linking exits or setting drop-tos for rooms) or an ABODE location (for
setting the homes of players or things).
* * * * *
Lock types in 1.50 are somewhat more limited. Enter locks and use
locks are provided. Page locks are a subset of use locks (a use lock
on a player is the page lock). Teleport locks are a subset of enter
locks (an enter lock on a room is the teleport lock). They are set
using the @lock/enter (@unlock/enter) and @lock/use (@unlock/use)
commands. Except for the fact that they set the Enter/Teleport and
Use/Page Keys instead of the regular Key field on an object, they
behave like @lock/@unlock. When you examine a room, you will be shown
the key "Teleport Key" instead of "Enter Key"; when you examine a
player, you will be shown the key "Page Key" instead of "Use Key".
1.50 will, however, recognize the /tport and /page switches, and set
the appropriate lock for you.
In 1.50, be careful, since a page lock also acts like a use lock,
on a player. If you @lock/use yourself to "me", not only will you prevent
people from using $commands on you, but you will prevent people from paging
you. You should, in general, avoid putting $commands on yourself. You
probably also want to leave yourself page-unlocked. A page lock is useful
if you don't want someone to page you but you don't want to set yourself
HAVEN (and thereby block out all pages).
----------
Changing ownership of an object: occasionally, you may want to give
a gift to someone, and let them own an object that you have created. The
@chown command allows you to change ownership of something.
For mortal players, to change ownership of something, the original
owner must set it CHOWN_OK. The player who is receiving the thing must then
@chown =me. If the thing is an object, the receiving player must be
able to pick it up. If the thing is a room or exit, the receiving player must
be in the same room. Wizards can simply @chown #=player.
If you own an object that you want to make sure you don't lose,
set its home to yourself, using @link =me, and then set the object
STICKY. Objects set STICKY will automatically go home when dropped; thus,
when the object is dropped, it will return to you.
----------
If, somehow, you manage to lose one of your objects, the @find and
@search commands can be very useful. @find will search the database
for all objects and rooms that you control whose names contain .
@find without any arguments displays all objects and rooms controlled by you.
This command costs (usually) 100 pennies, since it is computationally
expensive. The exact cost can be found by "@list costs" (in 2.0) or
"@config" (in 1.50). The cost for "@find" is the standard cost for all
computationally expensive commands on a MUSH.
"@find =," will allow you to limit the
dbref range searched. This version of the command will check every object
from to , inclusive. If you do not specify a dbref,
is assumed to be 0 and is assumed to be the last object in the db
* * * * *
The @search command checks all rooms, objects, and exits owned by
you. If used without arguments, it prints all of them out. @search can be
restricted to certain classes - type (rooms, exits, objects, players),
name (search for a string, like @find), and flags. @search is generally
faster than @find.
The scope of a @search may be limited in a fashion similar to @find.
The range must be the _last_ argument to @search. For example:
"@search flags=p,100,500" would find all objects with the 'p' (PUPPET)
flag between dbrefs #100 and #500.
Note that @search and @find may be more expensive on certain MUSHes,
especially those that run on slower machines, or are disk-based. 2.0 MUSH
code is disk-based; limited @searches (restricted by a flag, for example)
may not be terribly slow, but a @find might hang the server for several
minutes (and bring the wrath of the wizards down upon you).
* * * * *
To get a count of how many objects you own, use "@stats". In 2.0,
"@stats" with no switches returns the total number of objects in the database.
"@stats/all" returns a breakdown of types in the database. "@stats/me"
returns a breakdown of what you own. 2.0 @stats breakdowns cost the same
as @find, so be careful with it.
In 1.50, "@stats" returns a breakdown of types in the database.
"@stats me" returns a breakdown of what you own. Wizards can use
"@stats " to get a breakdown of what any player owns.
2.9 Do it! -- falcon
Issue the following commands:
@create
@set =puppet
@desc =
@lock =me
@succ =You call to and